Self-Driving Northeast Route:
Wangdalianchi
👉🏻 It consists of five pools (Beiyaoquan, Bailong Dam Lake, and Longmen Stone Village) and a geological museum. We also visited the Shengdi Mask Store. Since Laoheishan Volcano is closed, the attractions are scattered, so self-driving is recommended.
✈️ External Transportation: Fly to Harbin or Heihe Aihui Airport and then take a bus to the scenic area.
🚆 Alternatively, take the train. Wudalianchi Station is the closest train station. You can also catch a shuttle bus to Wudalianchi from bus stations in Heihe or surrounding cities.
🚗 If driving, take the Harbin-Yibin Expressway from Harbin, which takes about 4 hours.
🚗 Internal Transportation: The scenic areas are scattered, so you can charter a car (200 yuan per car for 4-8 people) or rent a car. Tickets to some attractions include a shuttle bus. 🌋 Attractions:
1⃣️ The Volcano and Geology Museum is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and closed from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. It's closed on Mondays. Free admission with ID, a must-see for children. It features six exhibition halls where you can see animal and plant specimens, unique geological features, volcanic lava, and various scientific information.
2⃣️ Wohu Mountain (65 yuan/person), with a deer park and hiking opportunities, but I didn't go because it felt too far.
3⃣️ Yaoquan Mountain (free), where you can hike. Erlongquan (free mineral water) is located at the entrance, and many people were carrying buckets to fill their water.
4⃣️ Beiyinquan (20 yuan/person), where you can fill your water, which is rich in Fe+ ions and tastes like sparkling water (children can't get used to the rusty taste of water). However, this water should be consumed immediately; it's said to spoil after two hours, turning yellow and unfit for drinking. ⭐ Locals bring buckets to collect water, claiming it's the secret to longevity. If you don't drink, you'll feel uncomfortable. The tour guide said his parents drink it year-round and, at 70, have no gastrointestinal issues. Many locals also use thermoses to collect water, which can keep for up to 8 hours.
We also saw many people collecting water nearby, applying it to their bodies and sunbathing.
3⃣️Nanyin Spring (temporarily closed)
4⃣️Wenbo has two east and west gates. 45 yuan/person: See the lake, reed marshes, and walk the plank path, a total of over an hour.
▶️West Gate, East Gate: First, take a boat tour of the Shilong River from the west gate to enjoy the scenery along both banks. After disembarking, walk along the plank path to visit Libo, Bibo, and Jingbo, in that order, before exiting from the east gate.
▶️East Gate, West Gate: Enter from the east gate and walk the plank path, visiting Jingbo, Bibo, and Libo in that order, before returning by boat from the west gate. ✅ Mainly boat trips, the scenery is similar to that of Beiyinquan.
5⃣️ Three Pools of the Dammed Lake: After 5:30 PM, entry is free. The gatekeepers are off duty, so you can go straight in. You can even see foxes and eat sausages. We went around 6 PM, and we were indeed allowed straight in.
6⃣️ Longmen Stone Village Lava Flow (40 yuan/person): Walk along the plank path to see the volcanic rocks. There are so many volcanic rocks, it's like forest-volcanic rocks-forest-volcanic rocks. The scenery is beautiful. We only walked halfway around and didn't reach the top, but the small circuit still took an hour and a half to complete.
7⃣️ Laohei Mountain (a volcano 🌋) and Crystal Palace (temporarily closed).
🥗 Make sure to try the tofu and fish from the cold spring water. Highly recommended! Try Wang Maolu or Lao Li's in the scenic area. We stayed in the city, so the food wasn't authentic.